Ever astute Canberra trainer Keith Dryden has enjoyed many special moments in a career now into its fifth decade. His supreme highlight was a Kosciuszko win with Handle the Truth in 2019. Two years later the same horse was in front two strides from home in a second Kosciuszko, only to have the big purse snatched from under his nose by Art Cadeau. Another of Keith’s favourites Into the Night won a Gr 2, three listed races and was only half a length off Gr 1 victory in the 2003 Salinger Stakes at Flemington. Handle The Truth and Into the Night are the most notable of the many stakes winners to come through the trainer’s Tumble On Lodge stables at Thoroughbred Park.
The veteran horseman ticked another item off his bucket list in Saturday’s TAB Highway when Everido and Sunchyme provided him with his first ever metropolitan quinella. “Funny thing I’ve had several metropolitan doubles over the years, but this was definitely my first city quinella,” said Keith. “To think there was only a nose between them. It was no more than a bob of the heads.”
The 1400m TAB Highway opened the programme on Gong day and was run at a solid pace throughout. Flying Impala led immediately after the start with King Of Spades crossing from a wide gate into second spot. Sunchyme settled in third ahead of Lambay and Prince Papa with Everido tucked away sixth on the fence. Tommy Berry had to get on his way a touch early on Sunchyme when King Of Spades showed signs of distress at the 600m and Lambay made a sharp move on the outside. Regan Bayliss bided his time on Everido around the corner before angling for a split between King Of Spades and his stablemate Sunchyme. Everido moved smartly when the gap appeared and looked likely to grab a break, but Sunchyme stuck to her guns. The Dryden duo hit the line together in a tricky finish with Everido prevailing by a whisker.
A Keith Dryden quinella! Everido and Sunchyme hit the line together in the TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Sunchyme has been in the Dryden stable since April of last year following a one start stint with Joe Pride in which she finished out of a place at Wyong. “Joe said she’d shown some ability but had a very hot temperament,” Keith recalled. “She was quiet in the stable but fired up the moment she got on the track. She needed plenty of time and the guidance of good track riders before she started to come around. The difference is amazing. She put the writing on the wall with a good third to Sass ‘N’ Cheek at Rosehill recently and got beaten by a whisker on Saturday. Her first city win is not far off.”
Keith has trained many sale ring graduates for Laurel Oak Bloodstock over more than three decades but says Everido was bred by the company. “He’s out of a Your Song mare called Everlasting Love who had knee issues and won only one race when trained by Anthony Cummings some years ago,” said Keith. “Louis Mihalyka decided to breed with her and came up with a colt by Supido. He put together a syndicate comprising some of his own existing clients and a few of my stable faithfuls. They’ve had a great ride so far. Everido has won three races with five placings for $142,000. He’s a very likeable horse with only one bad habit. He’s the laziest track worker at Canberra. He got beaten out of sight by a stablemate the other day, and that horse couldn’t run better than third at Adaminaby on Saturday. I’ve learned to take no notice of his work.”
Most of the Everido syndicate members turned up at Kembla Grange - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Keith is adamant the four year old’s record deserves to be better than it reads. Awkward barrier draws and plain bad luck in a handful of his races have cost him dearly. “I remember a run on the Kensington track in March when he was held up at a crucial stage,” said the trainer. “He finished only fifth, but Jason Collett had no doubt he should have gone close to winning. Since then he’s been gradually learning his craft, and getting better all the time. I’m talking about his race day performances and not his trackwork.”
Trainers of huge teams of horses have to get used to having multiple runners in any one race. In fact, they need to become desensitised and so do their owners. Trainers like Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher can’t possibly watch the progress of four or five runners in a single race. They have to rely on the observations of staff at the races and website replays a day or two later.
Trainers of small teams can sometimes be uncomfortable with only two runners in a race, especially if the horses have different owners. Keith Dryden has a hard and fast rule whenever this applies. If one of his runners happens to win, he lets those owners enjoy their moment in the sun. You’ll find Keith seeking out the owner or owners of the horse that got beaten, in the hope he can help ease their disappointment - one of the primary reasons he remains a key trainer for Laurel Oak Bloodstock.
Laurel Oak founder and MD Louis Mihalyka - A Keith Dryden supporter for more than 30 years.
Louis Mihalyka, founder and managing director of the company is a stickler for accurate records. He recently announced that Keith Dryden has won an impressive total of 246 races for Laurel Oak owners over some 35 years - in one particular season he won no less than seventeen races for the group. Louis and Keith continue to chuckle whenever Into The Night’s name comes up in conversation. “Keith and I looked at him several times at a Magic Millions night session and decided that $60,000 was to be our absolute maximum bank,” recalled Louis. “I left the job to Keith while I went away to inspect another couple of yearlings. I nearly fainted when I caught up with him later to learn he’d gone to $80,000 to secure the colt by Rhythm.”
“Keith’s astute judgement was vindicated when Into The Night went on to win nine races with seven placings and $804,000. He won the Gr 2 BTC Cup, ran fourth in a Newmarket, third in a Stradbroke and missed narrowly in the Gr 1 Salinger. I’ll never forget Damien Oliver apologising to us after the race for getting held up at a crucial stage. He had no doubt the horse should have beaten Ancient Song. Handle The Truth’s Kosciuszko win with Keith as trainer was a career highlight for me. He’s been a great asset for Laurel Oak over many years. He places his horses well, and his judgement is never far off the mark. We’re very appreciative of his support and friendship and look forward to many more wins going forward.”
An unforgettable moment for Louis and Keith - Presentation of trophies after Handle The Truth's Kosciuszko win 2019 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Testimony to Keith Dryden’s talents and week to week consistency are his eight Canberra trainer’s premierships. A special presentation was made to him between races at last Sunday’s Thoroughbred Park meeting. Keith’s achievements are all the more impressive when you consider that he rarely has more than twenty horses in work. He finished the 2023/2024 season with 48 winners and 90 placings in NSW and the ACT collectively. The veteran trainer will soon ratify the formation of a training partnership with long time stable foreperson Libby Snowden who’s been a valued member of the team since 2003. Prior to that Libby had trained successfully in her own right from the Braidwood racecourse. When these two combine their horse training skills, you can be sure the winners will continue to flow from “Tumble On Lodge.”
Keith with Handle The Truth in one of the spacious boxes at Tumble On Lodge.
(Banner image - The Dryden duo Everido and Sunchyme fought out a nail-biting finish in the TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)